Author: news
Wellness Walks Even In The Winter
November 24, 2012By Gail Farmer, Director of Education
The temperature might be dropping, and the trees might be losing their leaves, but that doesn’t mean keeping up your exercise routine isn’t just as important.
Winter wellness walks have obvious benefits, but we found some more with a little research. In fact, it has been proven that winter walks may have surprising health benefits.
Benefit #1: Reduces Stress
Walking in the winter offers you a refreshing change of pace, says Alan Mikesky, PhD on Prevention.com, director of the human performance and biomechanics laboratory at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis. The invigorating cold air…
Your Voice for the Event of Your Choice
November 21, 2012The Schuylkill Center is expanding its programming for adults, and we need the help of our members and friends!
We want to get the word out--the Center is an amazing, relaxing, and informative place for adults too.
What better way to do that, than through the voices of those who know us best?
So, what are we asking? Send in a quick video testimonial clip telling us why you love the Schuylkill Center.+ In return, we’ll give you admission to an event of your choice,* and send you a freshly printed Schuylkill Center bumper sticker. Your voice, for the event…
Wild Turkeys: Of Wingmen and Bands of Brothers
November 21, 2012By Mike Weilbacher
[caption id="attachment_248" align="alignleft" width="300"] A strutting tom and his band of brothers courting a hen.[/caption]
On Thanksgiving Day, we’ll gather around tables overflowing with food and stuff ourselves silly. And while every family has its own unique take on the traditional meal, in most homes a big turkey anchors the feast, the centerpiece of the table.
While a lot of us might remember that Ben Franklin favored the turkey as the national symbol, what else do we know about turkeys? Not much, right? So here are some turkey facts to gobble up alongside your meal.
In…
Philadelphia’s Top Trails
November 19, 2012[caption id="attachment_238" align="aligncenter" width="300"] On one of Schuylkill Center's Trails[/caption]
As Thanksgiving is fast approaching, you might be in need of an activity for your visiting family members.
Even as the weather starts to grow colder, the greater Philadelphia area offers many beautiful and relaxing nature trails. Try one of the following trails with your family, your partner, or even just for yourself this holiday season.
Looking for a more active day?
-Wissahickon's Green Ribbon Trail (20 miles): This multi-purpose path stretches along the Wissahickon Creek from Whitemarsh Township to a point near Lansdale Borough.
-Schuylkill River Trail (27 miles): Following the beautiful Schuylkill…
Effective Art
November 14, 2012By Lillian Ball
There is an innovative category of artist that confirms the many ways art can do more than mirror the state of our culture, or current events. These artists are committed to working in ways that actually change how the world works in addition to the ways we might perceive the world.
The diverse art projects I am fascinated with cover a wide range of disciplines. Social practice or public interaction is often a vital component. These international artists are doing more than merely talking about "relational aesthetics". Ecological systems are inherently relational with great potential for embedded aesthetics.…
Hear from Our Team!
October 18, 2012
By Jenny Laden
Now it's time to hear from our team ! Here they are, discussing our planning project, the art program’s goals, and what makes The Schuylkill Center unique. Our Advisory team is collectively committed to progressive collaboration in art and science, and after our time together have a sincere fondness for the site and the program.
Moving forward, we will be sharing some thoughts and ideas from the team members themselves in the coming weeks. In the meantime, watch these smart amazing people, and join in our Walk in the Woods.
Special thanks to Mangrove Media for their…
Advisory Team Meets at Schuylkill Center
September 17, 2012By Jenny Laden
On August 16th and 17th, SCEE hosted seven Advisory Team Members to visit our center and assist in the re-visioning of the Art Program's direction. As part of the Pew Philadelphia Exhibition Initiative's Planning Grant, the Team was invited to convene over the two days to discuss the Center's opportunities, challenges and help craft a clear vision for the direction of the Art department at SCEE. Learn about the team here. Visiting us over the meeting were Deenah Loeb, SCEE board member and Art Committee chair, and Mary Salvante, founder and former Director of the Art Program.
Over…
Letter from Director of Environmental Art
August 14, 2012By Jenny Laden, Director of Environmental Art
Let’s begin with Joseph Beuys.
An environmentalist before that was a word. I keep returning to his project 7000 Oaks
for its smart, simple answer to the problem of deforestation. Beuys was an artist who believed in action, in collaboration, in innovation and in the deep, enormous value of the natural world. He used humor, research and the power of community to create iconic works which spawned a generation of artists who both raise awareness and find solutions. Let’s discuss solutions. The focus of environmental art practice tends to be about problems –…
Butterfly Land
June 22, 2012As the mercury hovers around 100, people might wilt and retreat indoors—but the butterflies are having a ball. Summer is high season for butterflies, and the hotter it is, the happier they seem. In fact, driving down SCEE’s long driveway between the nature center and Hagy’s Mill Road, literally dozens of butterflies jump up from the dusty driveway to avoid the car, and dozens more flit across the driveway flying past.
We are Butterfly Land. Come see. Right now.
Just outside our front door, common milkweed is in full glorious bloom, perfect globular bursts that resemble pink fireworks. Smelling unbelievably…
Sex and the Single Firefly
June 5, 2012The male firefly, flashing in search of a female
By Mike Weilbacher, Exec Director
Saw my first firefly just last week, right after Memorial Day. For me, a naturalist who marks the passage of time by nature’s calendar, nothing says summer like an evening of fireflies.
And one of my favorite stories is the secrets of a firefly's flash.
When you see a cloud of fireflies rising from your lawn like liquid lightning, you are witnessing a stag party, a collection of horny males desperately seeking Susans-- every firefly flashing around you is male, the flash used to seduce a…
